Warming Up
by IWroteAFic
Summary: Reyn's feelings for Shulk are a lot harder to control when they're both naked and wrapped up together. (No spoilers) Reyn/Shulk


There needs to be more Reyn/ Shulk fics so I wrote one of my own.

This was somewhat inspired by "Cold Of The Mountain" by AriZonia1 ;)

* * *

Reyn was really starting to hate the Valak Mountains.

He never knew a place could be so _freezing_ and the farther they traveled into knee-deep snow, the more he regretted complaining about Makna forest. Walking through humid, scorching trees was a joy ride compared to _this_.

Even though their group purchased new armor to counter the terrain's negative temperature, He was still shaking in his boots.

Shulk took the lead with a determined face and Reyn stayed close to him out of instinct. He wanted to protect his precious friend just like he used to when they were younger, but things were different now. Shulk was _so_ powerful with the monado and he seemed like the center of a much larger battle.

Just the thought of it made Reyn's heart ache with longing.

 _Ah well, we're still together and that's what counts. I ain't letting no rusty mechon tear us apart. Not ever_!

Shulk's leg sunk into a pit and he lost his footing but Reyn grabbed him by the arm and heaved him back up.

Shulk looked up in surprise and blinked as if he'd just woken from a daze. He smiled up at his larger friend. "Thanks, Reyn."

The seer's gleaming blue eyes and gorgeous face was all Reyn needed to keep himself going. He grinned and kept his arm fastened tightly around Shulk's back. "Don't mention it, but you ain't gotta keep pushin' yourself, man. You should take it easy."

"Reyn's right." Dunban said as he slunk up behind them, brushing snow out of his path with the tip of his sword before swinging it up to rest on his shoulder.

"Shulk, you've fought every monster we've encountered while the rest of us have been taking turns. It's time to rest."

Shulk looked like he wanted to argue, in spite of Dunban's orderly tone

"B-but I-"

"RIKI'S COLD!" The nopon interrupted as he bounced upwards and hovered in front of the blonde's face. "Shulk must find shelter! Friends of Heropon must sleep!"

Melia caught their furry friend and looked up a Shulk with concern. "I feel a storm picking up was well. We should find a safe place while we can still see.

Shulk bit his lip and slowly nodded. His body leaned comfortably into Reyn's hold, submitting to his friend's worries.

"Alright, we should find a cave so we can start a fire. There might be one down this hill."

Reyn frowned when Shulk pulled away so they could continue walking but he remained a step behind. By the way the seer's shoulders were shaking, he wouldn't be surprised if Shulk collapsed in the snow.

Melia was right about the storm. The wind picked up almost immediately and it began snowing much harder, making it difficult to tell where they were going

Riki was riding on Dunban's shoulders because his tiny legs could barely move through the covered ground.

When they reached the bottom of the hill Reyn could see a frozen lake.

"Oi, who wants to go for a swim-"

His joke was interrupted as he walked into Shulk who had gone stiff in his tracks.

"Everyone, get down!" Shulk yelled, barely heard over the roaring wind.

Reyn had seen enough of the aftermath of Shulk's visions to know not to question him so he immediately dove in a random direction, sending his body deep into the snow.

He felt something very large and solid fly above him and suddenly he was propelled through the backwards until his back met ice. He flailed around and tried to get a grip on his surroundings while he continued gliding over the frozen lake.

Dunban and Riki were sliding past him while Sharla and Melia were struggling to free themselves from a mount of fallen snow.

And above them was a Lexos.

 _You gotta be kidding me. Those things are HERE too?_

Shulk stood between his fallen friends and the giant serpent-like monster. He was pointed his sword at the beast threateningly. The Monado's blue light glowed in the darkness of the rising storm.

The Lexos let out a blood-curdling roar and Reyn managed to gain his footing on the slick ice. Luckily he still had a hold of his weapon.

"Over here ya big ugly snake!"

He lunged at the Lexos and used hammer beat to get its attention away from Shulk.

The creature spun in the air and screeched before bolting forward. Reyn shielded himself as the beast slammed its head into his weapon and sent him back a few paces.

Shulk was as agile as ever and immediately positioned himself behind the Lexos. He dodged the creature's flailing tail and fins and leaped with the monado high above his head.

"Backslash!"

The beast roared as the blade sliced through it and attempted to turn and face the swordsman. However, Reyn gripped its lower jaw and slammed its head against the ice. "Oh no ya don't!"

He continued holding it there while it screeched and flailed around wildly.

Melia and Sharla were now shooting bullets and spells at the Lexos from the bank and Dunban and Riki were battling from each side of the creature.

Reyn grinned. _This thing won't last long against all of us!_

The military recruit balanced his weight and continued bashing the beast's head into the ground, taking no notice as the ice began cracking under his feet.

"Attack my friends will you? Take this!"

He punched the beast in the jaw, cutting off its roar.

"Reyn!"

Even over the roaring wind, Reyn knew it was Shulk's voice that called out to him, but his rage and adrenaline kept him going.

"I got this! This ugly beast is done for!" He yelled.

Reyn lifted his driver, determined to end the fight there but he paused when a burst of blue caught his eye.

Just then, the Lexos slipped out of Reyn's grip and opened its jaw wide. It snapped forward and would have bit Reyn's head clean off, but Shulk appeared a moment sooner and swung his sword against his friend's driver, causing Reyn to be blown backwards and out of the way.

The creature bit down on the monado instead and ripped it from Shulk's grasp, sending the blade sliding past Reyn on the ice.

Reyn propped himself up and looked forward in horror.

He saw Shulk standing defenseless over cracking ice while the Lexos circled upwards to preform an art.

The blonde swordsman had a slight smile on his face and his eyes were locked with Reyn. He had the same look he always gets when he manages to change the future and save someone's life.

"No! Shulk!" Reyn cried out but the beast's tail was already flying downwards.

It slammed Shulk's body through the ice sending a spray of cold water in every direction.

Reyn scampered up frantically and immediately dove towards the hole Shulk's body was sent through while the Lexos turned and started attacking Dunban.

He shifted and planted his legs into the water. Surprisingly it was rather shallow and only came up to his thighs, but it was _deathly_ cold and the contact felt like daggers in his skin as it soaked through his armor.

"Shulk!" Reyn ignored the painful cold and shoved his arms into the water, searching frantically for his friend. He growled out in frustration when he kept gipping chunks of ice.

"Shulk! Where are you?" He began punching through the ice to create a bigger hole and searching desperately with his hands and legs, ignoring the numbness that was taking over his body.

If this was too cold for him then it must be _devastating_ for Shulk who was fully submerged and probably injured. He knew every second in the freezing water brought his beloved friend closer to death. If he could just find him! The water was shallow, why couldn't he find him?

Minutes passed and tears were blooming in the corners of his eyes from panic and frustration. Finally his hand met something soft and solid and he pulled upwards with all his might. Shulk's head rose from the surface and Reyn immediately pulled him out of the freezing water and back onto the ice.

"Shulk! Hey man, say something!"

Reyn shook the boy by his shoulders but Shulk was pale and completely motionless with his eyes shut.

The sight caused a sharp pain in Reyn's chest and all the sudden he couldn't breathe. He pulled Shulk's frozen body to his chest, hugging him from behind.

"Hey! Don't give up on me now, ya hear? Wake up, Shulk! _Please_!"

Riki and Dunban finished off the Lexos and they began running towards their fallen comrades along with Melia and Sharla. "Oh no!" Melia gasped as the came closer. Riki began spinning around in a panic while Dunban leaned down next to them.

"Sharla! Help him, hurry!" Reyn called out to the medic desperately and she skidded in front of Shulk to examine him.

She placed two fingers on his neck and quickly looked over the rest of his body. "He's still breathing but my healing bullets won't work on him like this, we need to warm him up RIGHT NOW!"

She began tugging off the outer layers of Shulk's soaked armor and Reyn helped as much as his numb fingers would allow.

"This storm is getting worse!" Melia yelled as she attempted to use ether to shield Shulk from the flying snow. "We need to get him out of here."

"Riki find shelter!" The nopon yelled as he fluttered upwards and pointed to a cave in the far side of the mountain.

"Good job, Riki." Dunban said as he walked over and picked up the monado. "We can care for Shulk there. Lets move everyone!"

Reyn picked Shulk up like a bride and Sharla stayed close to them as they walked, keeping two fingers on his pulse and another hand in front of his nose. "Stay with us, Shulk. Hold on just a bit longer!"

Reyn held the boy tightly and stared down and Shulk's pale-blue face resting against his shoulder. Later, he would blame his frantic shaking on the cold.

 _Please Bionis, let Shulk be all right._

The cave was deep and it was a much-appreciated change from the harsh wind and snow. Riki and Melia dumped a bunch of their dry materials into a pile and both used fire arts. "B-b-buriniate!"

The cavern lit up and thankfully there were no monsters waiting for them inside.

Reyn gently set Shulk down and Sharla was quick to remove the rest of the boy's clothing. She tugged off his undershirt, leggings and undergarments until he was completely naked.

Melia politely redirected her gaze but the others were too concerned with warming him up to care.

Sharla used one of their few rags and spare articles of clothing to dry him off all while examining his body for further injuries.

"He's going to have some nasty bruises, but we'll worry about those once we get him warmed up. Reyn, the quickest way to warm him is body heat and _you're_ the biggest."

She fixed him with a serious stare, expecting one of his silly antics but to her surprise, he had already removed his armor and was in the process of tearing off his undershirt.

"I know, I know! Give me one sec." He stripped until he was naked, not caring who saw him, and then he set his bare ass on the cold ground and pulled Shulk's motionless body towards him.

He pressed Shulk's back flush against his chest and folded the boy's legs between his own. He wrapped his thick arms around the boy's lithe frame and rubbed every limb to try and warm them up.

He never realized has small Shulk was...or maybe Reyn was just really big.

He scooted closer to the fire with the blonde still in his lap and Riki scurried up to them and began rubbing his furring ears and body against Shulk's front. "F-friend S-Shulk is so c-chilly!"

The seer's hair was still damp where it rested against Reyn's shoulder but soon Dunban walked over with one of his spare shirts and used his good arm to dry those blonde locks.

Dunban looked at Reyn and seemed to study him closely.

"I can take over…if you need me to." Dunban whispered as he gestured to the younger's position against Shulk.

Reyn narrowed his eyes even though he knew Dunban's offer was innocent and caring. _And also, Dunban was the only one who knew about Reyn's feelings towards Shulk._

"Thanks, but I'm good." Reyn murmured against Shulk's shoulder.

Sharla leaned over them and used her hands to rub Shulk's ears and face all while speaking to him softly

"Come on Shulk, come on now. Don't give up on us. _Come on_."

Melia kept the fire alive and watched them all with a look of concern. The group moved even closer to Shulk and continued whispering encouraging words and rubbing the chills from his skin.

Reyn pulled the boy close and squeezed him tightly. His heart was beating faster with every moment the blonde stayed unresponsive.

" _Shulk_." He whispered softly into the boy's ear.

There was a moment of silence in the cave and suddenly Shulk gasped and his shoulders jerked. All at once his entire body, which was completely motionless before, shook violently. Shulk's eyes were still closed but his lips opened to suck in harsher breaths.

"That's a good lad! There ya go!" Dunban said fondly and ruffled Shulk's hair.

"Oh, thank goodness! That's it Shulk, you're all right now. It's all right." Sharla sounded relived and she wiped at the corners of her eyes. She kissed Shulk's forehead and hugged him and Reyn both.

"Yay! Friend of Heropon is all better!" Riki cheered and leaped into the air.

"Takes more than a bit of cold water to knock you out, eh?" Reyn grinned but his voice shook with emotion. Shulk's violent shivering and weak state was really tugging at his heartstrings.

No matter what joke he made, that had been a close call.

Dunban walked over to their supplies and retrieved at thick, wool blanket. He wrapped it around Shulk and Reyn while Sharla tucked the ends underneath them until it made a cocoon with nothing but both the boy's heads showing.

"We still need to keep Shulk warm, so stay close to the fire." Sharla said to Reyn and he nodded.

"Melia, could you come here a moment?" Sharla asked and the High Entia girl walked over with her staff ready.

Together, both the girls used their healing art to try and heal Shulk the best they could. Reyn felt tingles on his skin as the ether seeped into him as well.

Afterwards they settled around the fire and began unpacking some supplies to get them through the night. They kept an eye on Shulk's unconscious face and the mood became very melancholy.

"That was a close one." Sharla whispered as she eyed the blonde's shivering form.

"He was pushing himself so hard, I was worried something like this might happen." Dunban added. He drank from his canister as Riki plopped his furry body into the war veteran's lap.

"He was pushing himself?" Melia asked, looking up at Dunban curiously.

"Didn't you notice? Even time we chose parties to fight the monsters, Shulk included himself in every one."

"And Shulk use strongest arts against every monster!" Riki added.

Melia stared into the fire and her brow furrowed, as though ashamed of herself. "That's just…how he is though, isn't it? I never even thought to tell him he needed rest."

Reyn listened to them speak and tightened his grip on the shivering boy against his front. His mouth tasted bitter with guilt.

"Shulk would 'a been just fine against that Lexos if it weren't for me." He said softly and his friends looked at him in surprise.

"He had a vision." Reyn explained. "He tried to warn me but I just kept on fighting and he had to take a hit to save me."

Dunban looked down at Shulk and a smile grew on his lips. "Ah, so that's what happened."

Reyn brought the blanket tighter around the seer as if to keep him out of Dunban's sight.

"He saved my life, but then he-" Reyn broke off and Sharla reached over and placed a hand on his wool-covered shoulder.

"Oh Reyn." She smiled sympathetically. "You got Shulk out of that lake didn't you? And he's gonna be okay now."

"Yes, we're all alive and that's what matters." Melia stated.

Reyn sighed and rested his forehead against the back of Shulk's hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

A comfortable silence fell over the group as the fire warmed them up

Thankfully Shulk's violent shivering lessened even though his skin still felt cool. Reyn was trying his best to focus on the scratchiness of the wool to distract him from Shulk's smooth skin and _very_ naked form pressed against his own.

Shulk managed to seduce Reyn on a daily basis with his lovely voice, his soft features, vibrant blue eyes, analytical behavior, selfless nature…pretty much everything that made Shulk, _Shulk_. And now, even in his unconscious weak state, Reyn still found him lovely and beautiful.

 _This obsession can't be healthy._

He felt guilty that his mind was running wild while his friend was healing. Maybe he _should_ have handed the boy over to Dunban.

But the very thought of someone trying to separate them caused his arms to tighten around Shulk protectively.

"Well, look who it is." Dunban said in amusement, drawing Reyn out of his thoughts.

His friends were all looking at Shulk and Reyn realized the boy's eyes were now open.

"Shulk! You're awake." Reyn smiled but then his cheeks started burning.

The position they were in became a lot more embarrassing when Shulk was actually awake and aware of it.

However, it seemed that Shulk wasn't exactly _aware_ of _anything_ as he slowly blinked and looked around the cave. He didn't respond and his face held a neutral expression.

"He's probably still in shock, he'll come back to it eventually." Sharla stated as she smiled fondly at Shulk's bleary gaze.

"Shulk looks cute in blanket! Like littlepon after bath!" Riki chimed.

"Cute? Riki, you don't call a male Homs cute." Reyn grumbled.

Shulk _did_ look extremely cute but he wasn't about to admit that out loud.

The blonde's fragile gaze seemed to travel from the bright light of the fire to the monado resting by Dunban's feet and then to the colorful patterns of Riki's fur.

"Hey, are you with us?" Reyn spoke too close to Shulk's ear causing the blonde to close his eyes and shudder violently, giving birth to a whole new wave of shivers. Reyn whispered an apology while using his hands to rub the chills from the boy's arms.

"You know, while he's awake we should try and get him to eat." Dunban suggested.

Sharla nodded. "He'll be better off with some food inside him, even if it's just a bit."

"You think Shulk's in any state for a chow down?" Reyn questioned.

"Riki will share!" Riki ripped off a piece of the fish he'd been munching on and held it close to Shulk's face.

The blonde seemed unaware of it, even when the nopon impatiently pushed the food against his lips.

"It seems we'll have to chew it for him." Dunban stated simply.

"W-what?" Reyn gapped at the older male as the latter took a huge bite of Riki's fish and began chewing it thoroughly. Reyn's stomach twisted with an emotion that he couldn't place. "U-um, I can do that!" He bleated.

"It's fine, Reyn." Sharla assured him. "You're already keeping him warm, let us help him too."

Reyn went pale but he nodded with wide eyed as Dunban leaned over and took a firm hold of Shulk's face. The swordsman offered Reyn a knowing smile before he propped Shulk's chin up with his thumb and glued their lips together.

Shulk went stiff as Dunban forced his mouth open and he made a slight noise of protest in the back of his throat. However, soon his shoulders relaxed and he submitted as the older man angled his head back and shared everything he'd chewed up.

Reyn wasn't exactly jealous since he knew it was to help Shulk, _and sharing chewed up food was disgusting_ , but he still didn't like the sight of another person's lips on his beloved blonde's.

Shulk made another soft sound as Dunban pulled away and he struggled to swallow the food in his mouth.

Sharla watched him closely, making sure he wouldn't choke. Then, she repeated the process with a mouth full of water.

She was gentler then Dunban had been and when she guided Shulk's face upwards and pressed their lips together, the boy complied with little protest and swallowed the liquid easily.

They continued feeding Shulk, much to Reyn's dismay, but after eight mouthfuls of fish and water, it seemed the blonde had had enough. Shulk groaned and attempted to shift against the thick limbs and tight blanket wrapped around him. Reyn spread his arms a bit, allowing him some space to move and Shulk turned and rested his side against Reyn's chest. He pressed his cold face into the larger boy's neck with a deep sigh.

Reyn blushed and pulled the blanket tightly around them. He glanced up to find their friends staring at him expectantly.

"W-what? The poor guy's cold." He huffed and adjusted his hold on the sleepy blonde, pulling him closer. Shulk was nuzzling Reyn's neck affectionately and the latter could feel the blood rushing to his head.

 _He's just cold!_

"I think Shulk has the right idea, we should all try and get some rest." Sharla yawned and stretched.

Melia was already laying down on her duvet and Dunban set a sleeping Riki down next to the fire.

Sharla walked over and planted a kiss on top of Shulk's head and another on Reyn's cheek. "Goodnight boys." She murmured before settling down on the other side of the fire.

"You sure you don't want me to take over for you?" Dunban asked as he kneeled in front of Reyn to check on Shulk.

"Nope, I'm nice n' comfy." He replied with a lighthearted tone, hoping to avoid a lecture from his elder.

"I can tell." Dunban chuckled.

He watched Shulk sleepily shift his face against Reyn's collarbone and the larger boy responded by leaning into the touch.

"Y-yeah well, me n' Shulk have been together for a long time so it's not like…a big deal or nothin'…and I'll take first watch n' all."

Dunban nodded but he still had that knowing smile on his face. He patted Reyn's shoulder and retreated to his own duvet.

"Keep him warm and wake me if you need anything."

Reyn nodded and watched the fire as the cave went silent.

He focused on the gentle rise and fall of Shulk's chest and wondered what the boy was dreaming about.

Thankfully, the seer's skin had warmed up considerably and the shared body heat brought a bit of sweat to Reyn's palms. He was comfy and he refused to move. Besides, when would he ever get another chance to be _this_ close to Shulk?

When they were younger they used to hold hands and swim naked in the lake together. Reyn and Fiora would often fight for the boy's attention but it was always Reyn who Shulk spent the most time with. Reyn used to kiss the smaller boy's scratches, carry him around on his back, and almost every night he would sneak into Shulk's bed and snuggle the boy until they fell asleep.

As they grew older, Reyn spent more time in training and Shulk spent more time in the lab but the closeness between them never really went away…right?

If anything, it had grown stronger.

A soft moan brought Reyn out of his thoughts and he watched as Shulk's head lifted and the boy cracked his eyes open.

"Mmm Reyn?" His voice was raspy and barely audible.

Reyn grinned. "Hey sleepy, you actually awake this time?" He whispered, trying not to wake their friends.

Shulk blinked and kept his head resting against his friend's shoulder as he looked about the cave. "Is everyone okay?"

Reyn chuckled and shook his head. _That's always the first thing Shulk asks._

"Of course they are, dummy. You're the one who got pummeled through the ice, remember?"

Shulk didn't respond but he gave a small smile and relaxed in Reyn's hold.

"How ya feelin'?" Reyn was quick to ask.

"Sore." Shulk croaked. "…and tired."

Reyn nodded. "Mn, I'd imagine."

There was a moment of silence and Reyn started to feel anxious.

"Reyn are we…are we _naked_?" Shulk whispered.

Said boy started laughing nervously and twisted the blanket in between his fingers.

"A-Ah yeah, we sort of had to get you warmed up in a jiffy, and your clothes took a dunking so…"

Shulk went silent and shifted awkwardly.

"Oh…I see…sorry for the trouble."

Reyn shook his head again. "I don't mind it, none."

His shoulders immediately relaxed after that brief exchange. That had been a lot less disastrous than he was expecting. Maybe his anxieties were getting the better of him.

Shulk sighed and snuggled into Reyn's chest

The warmth between them took its toll on Shulk's fatigue and the blonde was asleep a moment later.

Reyn held him close all while smiling to himself.

He was really starting the like the Valak Mountains.

* * *

(this isn't the full version of the story but the longer one has a rather sexy scene in it so I had to cut it out for FF :) You can look the story up on Archive Of Our Own if you'd like to read the full version.)

Thanks for reading!


End file.
